The purpose of the newly configured NHL playoffs was to accentuate first-round series between the second- and third-place finishers in each division. For the longest time this season, Avalanche fans braced themselves for a first-round matchup with the Central Division's Chicago Blackhawks. Instead, say hello to the Minnesota Wild. With the St. Louis Blues' meltdown at the end (six consecutive losses) and a hot Avs finish, Colorado finished first in the Central and second in the Western Conference, which entitled the Avs to play the seventh-place team. That would be their Central Division compatriots from St. Paul, Minn., in what will be the third playoff meeting between the teams from 2003 to the present. Many Avs fans celebrated avoiding the defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks in the first round, but be careful for what you wish. This is a good, highly paid team in Minnesota.

Offense

Missing centers. The Avalanche was well-regarded this season for its speed up front, but it enters this series without two of its top centers. Matt Duchene (knee) and John Mitchell (concussion) are not expected to start the series. It's not clear how long they'll be out. The loss of Duchene and Mitchell puts a lot on the shoulders of Paul Stastny, Nathan Mac Kinnon, Ryan O'Reilly and Gabe Landeskog. It looks like MacKinnon will play more center in Duchene's role. The Avs are going need good production from him and O'Reilly in the pivot. Minnesota has quality depth at center, featuring Mikko Koivu, Mikael Granlund and Kyle Brodziak. Minnesota has three strong veterans on the wing in Zach Parise, Matt Moulson and Jason Pominville. The Avs will need to get something from the recently returned P.A. Parenteau and hope its third line, led by Max Talbot, can chip in too. Edge: Avalanche

Defense

Ironman Suter. Get ready to see plenty of Ryan Suter. The Wild defenseman played all 82 games and led the NHL in ice time at 29:25 minutes per game. He is a premier player, a big reason the Wild, despite injuries to goalies all season, finished seventh in the league in fewest goals allowed (2.42 per game). The much-maligned Avalanche defense proved better than most people expected, but Colorado still allowed an average of 32.7 shots per game. Only five teams allowed more shots. Minnesota allowed 27.7 shots a game, and only four teams allowed fewer. The Avs, however, vastly improved cutting down on the quality of scoring chances opponents get. Many shots they allow are from long range. Edge: Wild

Special teams

Thinking out of the box. The Avs finished tied for the NHL's fifth-best power play at 19.8 percent. The penalty-killing unit wasn't as good, finishing 24th at 80.7 percent. The Wild was in the middle of the pack on the power play (17.9 percent) but 27th in the league on the penalty kill (78.8). Nick Holden and Tyson Barrie added a nice new dimension at the point and down low on the power play, while MacKinnon, Landeskog, O'Reilly and Stastny are strong around the net. Both teams were fairly disciplined, with Minnesota averaging 9.5 penalty minutes per game to the Avs' 10.9. Because each team is poor at killing penalties, staying out of the penalty box could become the biggest key to winning the series. Edge: Avalanche

Goaltending

Many in the net. Josh Harding and Niklas Backstrom started the season as the Wild's top two goalies, but they got hurt. Darcy Kuemper became the starter but is injured now too. Now Ilya Bryzgalov and John Curry are the Wild's goalies. Bryzgalov, signed to a massive contract a few years ago by Philadelphia, vastly underachieved there but went 7-1-3 with a .911 save percentage for Minnesota. He has a 17-19 career playoff record. He's often really hot or really cold. The Avs got a Vezina Trophy-caliber season from Semyon Varlamov, who is 10-9 in career playoff games. Varlamov set an Avs franchise record with 41 victories (which led the NHL), and his .927 save percentage is second only to Boston's Tuukka Rask for best among starting playoff goalies. Edge: Avalanche

Coaching

Resourceful Roy. Patrick Roy should be a shoo-in for the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year. He's smart, competitive and resourceful, and he has proved to be a good motivator. Mike Yeo has been on the hot seat a couple of times in his stint coaching the big-payroll Wild, but to his credit he has steered his team back into the postseason. Yeo is 0-4 as a playoff coach, while this is Roy's first trip to the postseason behind the bench. On the ice, of course, Roy knew how to win, with four Stanley Cup rings to his name. Roy will have to be resourceful again, with Duchene and Mitchell out. Roy showed all season he isn't fazed by a challenge. Edge: Avalanche

Prediction

Tussle on tap. Something doesn't feel quite right with the Avs entering this series as the favorites. The "Why not us?" underdog mentality all season fit the team perfectly. Can it handle being a higher-seed favorite, with home-ice advantage? The Wild has the NHL's 11th-highest payroll, while the Avs are at No. 28. So, they're still underdogs in that aspect. While I have a strong feeling this series will go the distance and the Avs are going to be in for a tough fight, I'll take them in seven because of that final game at the Pepsi Center. Prediction: Avs in seven

Avs won the season series 4-0-1

Nov. 29, 2013: Avs 3, Wild 1

In the first game of a back-to-back set, Jean-Sebastien Giguere moved to 6-0-0 by stopping 16 Minnesota shots in the third period.

Nov. 3o: Avs 3, Wild 2, SO

Ryan O'Reilly scored the lone shootout goal, and Semyon Varlamov stopped 35-of-37 shot attempts to give Colorado its second victory in two nights.

Dec. 14: Wild 2, Avs 1, SO

The Wild's only victory of the season series came courtesy of two shootout goals from Mikko Koivu and Zach Parise past Varlamov.

Jan. 11, 2014: Avs 4, Wild 2

O'Reilly scored two goals, including the go-ahead backhand score with 7:16 remaining in regulation off a crisp pass from Matt Duchene.

Jan. 30: Avs 5, Wild 4

Varlamov stopped 31 shots on the same day he signed a five-year, $29.5 million contract extension, and Nathan MacKinnon scored the game-winner with 2:25 to go.

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